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This recreation of a traditional Japanese inn has 15 private rooms, each one different. In this warren of little rooms they serve kaiseki, the most refined Japanese cuisine, with sake or shochu, at prices ranging upward from £20 for the cheapest courses. It should be noted that this is traditional Japanese fare, including sashimi, sushi, tempura, soup and rice—appearance and presentation count as much as taste and flavour.
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In this sumiyaki (charcoal grill), where you roast your food on sticks over large charcoal pits, the ceiling is festooned with all kinds of irrelevant junk from the countryside to make it look rustic. Ignore the decor and get on with the nosh, washed down with sake, shochu or beer. There are two tiny rooms for intimate dinners which need to be reserved in advance.
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This is one of those occasional fish restaurants that specialises in the dreaded fugu—the blowfish that can kill you in a flash if the cook uses his knives clumsily and hits one of the pouches that secrete a deadly poison. Mind you, the fugu tastes of nothing, it’s just exciting to dice with death. Kuromonto’s a nice little restaurant, but it’s tucked away, so check the website for a useful map.
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Here is one of those extreme rarities, a first-class sushi shop with prices that normal mortals can pay. Of course such places exist all over Japan, but Westerners don’t always find out in time where they are. Call Miyakozushi and get them to fax you a map—this is a tiny place and you won’t find it without one.
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Lunch courses start at around £5 and dinner courses from £25, so this is a classic case of an eatery that packs in the office staff at midday for 15 minutes and let’s those with deep pockets dawdle over their soba (buckwheat noodles) in the evening. Soba is one of the world’s healthier foods and delicious to boot—go for it.
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